Joao Iacovo

Joao Iacovo (1926-) was President of Brazil from 2000 to 2001, preceding Eduardo Doreira.

Biography
Joao Iacovo was born in Rio de Janiero, Brazil in 1926, and he was active in the democracy movement during the military dictatorship of the 1970s and 1980s while working as a law professor. Having previously been involved with the Social Democratic Party of Brazil, he joined the PMDB in 1981 and became one of its leaders. In 2000, he was elected President of Brazil as the PMDB's candidate; he won 55.7% of the vote and defeated PSDB leader Eduardo Doreira, who won 44.3%.

Presidency
Iacovo, with the help of the conservative Progressistas party, led the Chamber of Deputies in voting 20-14 to abolish the income tax, leading to economic downturn. The Chamber then voted 34-1 to approve agriculture research, leading to the economy further declining. A Brazilian Labor Party-proposed land tax failed 21-14, but the income tax passed 27-6. In the general election of late January 2001, the PMDB's support dropped to 35.95% and 14 seats, PSDB dropped to 23.69% and 10 seats, the Workers' Party of Brazil rose to 15.74% and 6 seats, the Progressistas rose to 13% and 5 seats, and the PTB rose to 11.63% and 5 seats. Iacovo then lost re-election to Doreira in a vote of 49.6% to 50.4%, having been blamed for the economic decline.